Steve Heisner
Hello
Steve Heisner
Chairperson
 
Karnak
 
2019 - 2025
About Me

Steve was born in Cairo, Illinois and was reared in the small farming community of Grand Chain, Illinois. He completed elementary school at Grand Chain Elementary and high school at Century High School, graduating with the Class of ’72. He completed an Associate Degree from Shawnee Community College in Ullin, Illinois, in 1974 and then on to complete a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology at Westminster of Missouri, a private men’s college, in Fulton, Missouri, in 1976. After completing his B.A., Steve enrolled in the Rehabilitation Institute at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and completed a Master of Science Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling in 1977. Later, after spending some time in the workforce, he entered the Doctor of Rehabilitation program at SIU-C in 1985.


During his time at Westminster, he served as a student tutor in behavioral statistics as well as a faculty assistant in the Department of Psychology. At SIU-C, he served as a graduate teaching assistant in behavioral assessment and statistics. At Westminster, he was a charter member of its academic fraternity, Alpha Chi, and was inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi Academic Fraternity at SIU-C. Steve began his professional career as an academic and vocational counselor with Southeastern Illinois College at the Vienna Correctional Center in Vienna, Illinois, in 1978.


Shortly thereafter he was promoted as Director of the Orientation Unit. He also served as an instructor in the college’s Criminal Justice program. In 1984, Steve was employed by the Illinois Department of Corrections as Administrative Assistant to the Warden at the Vienna Correctional Center and later, that same year, was promoted to the position of Clinical Services Supervisor at the facility. In 1987 he was further promoted to the position of Assistant Warden of Programs where he remained until his resignation from the agency in 1996 to join the staff of Dippin’ Dots, Inc. During his tenure with Dippin’ Dots, Steve has served as the company’s Director of Administration and currently serves as Vice President of Administration and Human Resources for the various Dippin’ Dots companies.


Steve also serves as a lay pastor for two small Methodist congregations in Southern, Illinois as well as the pianist in his local church. He is a former Century High School board member and President and previously served as a member and past Chairman of the Shawnee Community College Board of Trustees for 18 years. He is also a distinguished alumnus of the college.Steve and his wife Heather live in Karnak and Heather, a retired physical education teacher, is also an alumnus of Shawnee College.